The Legacy We Leave Behind

A few weeks ago The Frugal Girl wrote a whole post describing the new ladle she purchased. Now if you are really into kitchen gear you might be excited to read about soup ladles. That wasn’t the case for me. It wasn’t the soup ladle that interested me, it was the thought process she went through when deciding which one to buy.

It seems The Frugal Girl is now focusing on purchasing heirloom quality goods. As I read her post I wondered, “how many times do I buy a quality item over a cheaper alternative and how often do I think about one of my purchases lasting beyond me?” I have to admit that I’ve never thought much about it before. In fact, I often comment that my grandmother is lucky to have so many quality items to pass down. Toys from her youth that still function and cut glass that is as beautiful today as the day it was made. Our generation seems to have nothing to show for it. Our stuff all seems to land in a heap at the junk yard.

So when I wrote my birthday list this year I created it with heirloom quality products in mind. I want to buy things that my son can continue to use long after I’m gone. Things that his children, (if he chooses to have children), can use well beyond him.

For my birthday, instead of asking for a bunch of things of lesser quality I asked for one beautiful, ocean blue, 8 quart Le Creuset dutch oven. While the pot retails for as much as $500 I found a great sale at Bloomingdale’s that offered it for nearly half that price. I would rather have everyone pull their money together for one legacy gift than to receive a bunch of gifts that will end up in the landfill.

Over the years my husband and I have grown to love cooking together and I know that unbelievable aromas and delicious meals will be cooked in this pot for years and years to come. Right now my son plays in his highchair while my husband and I chop vegetables and simmer sauces, but eventually he will join us in measuring and stirring ingredients. One day he may even use this pot to cook his favorite meals.

I love the idea that this pot will last for generations and that one day it may sit on the stove in his own home. He can sing songs, dance around the kitchen and make meals with his family. Just like my husband and I do with him.

Here is a picture of my pot. Beautiful, isn’t she?

Now the minute I told my mom my idea for buying legacy products she said, “I don’t know. I think you’ll worry a lot more about breaking things along the way. What if you place the wrong burner on and burn the bottom of the pot? What if you chip it as you move it in and out of storage? Maybe it’s best that things are more disposable these days, then you don’t have to worry about them.”

It’s an interesting point. So what do you think? Do you try to purchase legacy items and if so do you find yourself worried about taking care of them?

Beautiful gift. I have several Le Creuset pieces and love them. Tell your mom to rest easy. Le Creuset has a great warranty. I have only had one problem in all the years of using and it was a non-stick skillet they no longer make. The non-stick starting flaking off. They replaced it with a normal skillet that was nicer and more expensive with no hassle. Enjoy and I am sure there will be more Le Creuset pieces added to your wish list shortly.

My decision on this is to buy good quality things I like and that will ideally last my lifetime. I have one child who may want to inherit nice things, or may feel burdened by them, but at least they should fetch a fair price if not kept!

Regarding your mom’s comment, I think that if an heirloom quality item breaks, so be it. It won’t happen terribly often, since it’s a quality item, but things do break prematurely every now and then even if they’re good quality.

The thing is, though, that if you buy good quality items, probably 90% of them ARE going to last, so ultimately, you’re ahead by going the quality route. If you buy junky products, somewhere around 100% of them are going to fail before they can be passed on.

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